


Rainstorms

by TheTinyFoxtail



Series: Gruvia Week [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: 2015 - Freeform, Bloom - Freeform, Demons, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gruvia - Freeform, Gruvia Week, Hair, Heartwarming, One-Shot, One-Shot Collection, Possessive Behavior, Quiet, Romance, Sweet, kiss, scarf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-20 19:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3661410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTinyFoxtail/pseuds/TheTinyFoxtail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Through rainstorms and bumpy roads she believed their relationship would prevail, even if he didn't see it yet. Because they were so perfect for one another; all that was left was to convince him to think the same. - Seven little one-shots for Gruvia week 2015!</p><p>#4 - Demons - He was dominant, possessive, and doing all the things she'd dreamed of him doing. However, this wasn't the Gray Fullbuster she'd fallen in love with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1 - Hair

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! It's Gruvia Week! Huzzah! XD So this'll just be seven little one-shots for all of the prompts for the week. Hopefully it'll all stay in character and believable and whatnot.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy! :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He always had a way of taking her by surprise.

Juvia figured she'd already played out every situation possible in her head. Whether it was the day he confessed, the day he first would kiss her, their wedding day, whatever the occasion, she'd thought of every single way it could play out.

Did he confess to her on a job? In the guild? In her room? No matter where or what was happening, she'd thought of it. Mostly because she daydreamed about him so often, but also because she wanted to be prepared. She wanted to have already thought through the situation before it happened, so that she could not only hopefully keep her cool throughout the ordeal, but also so she could remember it even more vividly.

Whether he brought her roses or a necklace. Whether the necklace was silver or gold, had a short or long chain. Every little detail of every possible situation, she'd considered. She was positive.

It was nice daydreaming about those times. He was cold and distant and so picturing the day when he wouldn't be, brought her a sense of warmth and comfort. She knew he cared about her. She just knew it deep down, and so she'd wait however long it took.

Yes, Juvia was prepared for whatever kind of romantic situation he threw at her. Whether it was tomorrow or years from now that it'd happen, she was prepared and eager. And she was nearly one hundred percent sure that there was nothing he'd throw at her that she hadn't already thought of herself.

All that was left to do was wait to see which he chose. Where would he confess? It didn't matter; she'd already thought it through. It would be interesting to see which one he chose though. At least to her. And hopefully she'd stay calm and collected instead of bursting out into fits of hysterically excited giggles like she was sure she would do had she not thought of every situation possible.

She plopped down on the grass with a sigh, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. She enjoyed training with Gray more than most things in the world but he wore her out. He trained harder than she'd ever seen anyone –besides Natsu, maybe- train before.

With a thud he sat next to her, crossing his legs and offering her a water bottle.

She took it graciously, unscrewing the cap and downing the cool contents with a satisfied, "Ah." She took a deep steadying breath and watched as he drank out of his own bottle. Gray drinking, eyes closed and beads of sweat trickling down his neck was definitely a sight to behold. She somehow managed to tear her eyes from him before he caught her staring.

She'd been training with Gray for the past week. They'd found a semi-secluded forest grotto and had gone at it. Ooh, that sounded much dirtier than it was. She bit her lip to keep from smiling at the thought.

It was a beautiful lush space with trees galore. Had she not been worn to the bone she might've contemplated how beautifully romantic it was. The sunlight peering through the leaves and branches, creating a light glow in the afternoon as the sun began to slowly make its descent.

She leaned back against the log behind her. The trees were sturdy too. Made not only for good sitting places but also targets of magical practice. She could still spot remnants of Gray's ice on some of the bark, slowly melting and dripping to the ground as they took a break.

Surely they'd be done soon. If so, perhaps she could convince him to go to dinner with her, or something of the like. They seemed more like a team now than they ever had, after all. And teams ate together, right? Well, technically they weren't a team, but she'd like to think they were in some respects, especially since they'd found their magic worked well together. Water and ice melded like old friends, after all.

She wasn't exactly sure how she'd gotten into training with him. She hadn't asked and he hadn't offered; it just sort of… happened. Not that she was complaining. But with her logic, if she could get him to train with her, she could probably get him out to dinner. Maybe. Or maybe just a snack. She'd pay.

She put on a determined face and nodded to herself, tightening her ponytail to prepare herself before turning abruptly to Gray. "Juvia wanted to know if…" Her determination faded and her voice trailed off. He'd finished his water, now leaning back against the tree as well, eyes closed and hands clasped on his stomach. He looked so beautiful, sitting there in such peace. It'd instantly taken her breath and words away.

He opened one eye, looking over at her tentatively. "You wanted to know what?"

"J-Juvia, just, it's just that, Juvia-" Somehow she couldn't get the words out. This was why she always pictured situations before they happened. If she'd already played it out, she wouldn't stutter and fall over her words like a bumbling idiot. It was embarrassing.

He stared carefully as she continued to fumble around, looking anywhere she could except at him in hopes it would calm her nerves and she could just simply blurt out the question of whether or not he wanted to go to dinner.

She'd asked him out for dinner before. Granted, he'd declined, but still. If she got her words out fast enough she could ask him nearly anything. Hell, she told him she loved him nearly every day. Dinner wasn't anywhere near as big as that.

He sat up, stretching, and she stopped her feeble attempts. What was wrong with her? When they were in the guild she had no troubles talking to him –in fact things just happened to spill out of her mouth even when she didn't want them to- but when they were alone she became… nervous.

He tilted his head toward her, apparently disregarding all of her mumbles and her half-started question. "You ready to start back up again? We only got a few hours before dinner; better squeeze in as much as we can."

She slouched in defeat and nodded down toward the ground. More training. Maybe she could get the courage to ask him for a meal together after they were done.

And that was when it happened.

She felt cold skin touch her face.

Juvia jumped in surprise, her gaze shooting upwards to meet steely black eyes, staring at her. Her eyelids fluttered in confusion as he heart shot to life, pounding mercilessly against her ribcage. He was touching her.

He didn't touch her. Gray wasn't the one to initiate contact. Ever. Her eyes searched him frantically, trying to tell if this was some sort of joke, but she couldn't tell. It was something so out of the blue, so extraordinary. She had to be dreaming.

He'd only reached far enough to tough her skin with his fingertips, but it was enough to nearly send her into a panic attack. He looked so serious. She couldn't tell what on earthland he was doing, or why, or even what sort of emotion he was feeling. Was he curious? Angry? She had no idea. His eyes didn't give up any clues at all.

And so naturally, she froze. If she didn't freeze, trying not to move a muscle or an inch, undoubtedly she'd loose all control and turn to water. Nothing would ruin a moment such as this one more than if she melted, quite literally, under his touch.

He stared at her with piercing intensity as his fingertips brushed across her cheek, light enough to make her question if they were really touching at all. They trailed up her cheekbone, across her temple, and finally he hooked one finger around a piece of hair that'd come loose during training. Gently, he tucked the hair behind her ear, his eyes watching his own hand as he did so.

Her breath caught again as he continued, his index finger tracing a line down her neck before taking ahold of her ponytail, sitting atop her shoulder. He held her hair in his grasp for one long second more before dropping it, and pulling his hand back to the ground next to him.

Juvia struggled to keep her vision from blurring and her thoughts clear. She had no idea what'd possessed him to do that, or even what he'd exactly done, but she thanked Mavis it had. It'd been exhilarating. Easily the closest he'd ever gotten to her of his own free will.

His gaze snapped away from hers, his eyes widening in what looked to be mortification before he shook his head to clear it, looking as if even he himself had had no idea what'd happened. "Um, sorry, just… your hair looks nice today." He cleared his throat and immediately got to his feet. "Alright, c'mon; let's get going," he barked.

Maybe she was imagining it but it seemed as if he was perhaps embarrassed of his own actions. Or confused. That would make sense since her own thoughts were spiraling out of control, trying to picture what he was thinking.

"R-right," she stuttered, using all of the energy she had left to wobble to her feet without collapsing in a heap of satisfied happiness.

And that was when she realized something. She had never, ever, pictured a situation such as that one.

She'd thought of all the momentous occasions, or noteworthy milestones such as marriage or confessions, but nothing in between. She'd pictured him going from the stoic Gray who told her he didn't care, to a loving man who couldn't get enough of her in the blink of an eye. She hadn't thought of any of the moments that'd happen in the middle somewhere, to get them there.

Of course there'd be some sort time where they eased into it. Time when he still seemed not to have any feelings for her at all, but little gestures began to convince her otherwise.

What had he done? He'd tucked hair behind her ear, touched her face, and given her a compliment. It seemed far different than both the Gray she knew now, and the Gray of her dreams which would want to be touching her all the time. It was somewhere in the middle. Somewhere in the very broad array of situations that would most likely have to happen before Gray Fullbuster reciprocated the feelings she'd had for him since the day they'd met.

It was such a little gesture, especially compared to her fantasies, and yet it'd made her heart beat faster and her head spin more wildly than anything she'd thought of before.

No, she hadn't ever pictured something like that, even though she'd been absolutely positive she'd played out anything that could happen in her head. And while no, she hadn't taken it well, instead having to focus nearly all of her energy on staying solid, she hadn't taken it horribly either.

She'd kept quiet, not calm but quiet, and still. She'd let him go through whatever he was going through in that gesture without interruption, and she hadn't lost it. She hadn't squealed uncontrollably or passed out. She'd made it.

Perhaps not only was it the smaller things that she hadn't imagined, but also the things she'd enjoy the most. Maybe it wasn't all about the day he'd kiss her, but the little snippets of everyday life that'd lead up to that moment that she'd remember forever.

And maybe, just maybe, she enjoyed the spontaneous more than she could've imagined. Maybe all of those situations she'd gone over time and time again would be boring as compared to what he would do in person. He was Gray, after all; her light, her hero, and the one person that she supposed could take her off-guard, surprising her in all the right ways.


	2. Day 2 - Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd still kept that scarf, even after all this time.

Gray considered himself to be strong. Not only in the physical sense but also emotionally. Composure was easy enough to keep and it wasn't difficult to wipe his face of any emotion. He supposed he was a hardass from birth. He couldn't remember a time when he wasn't frowning or trying to convince people he didn't care about something.

Ur had laughed and smacked him on the head when he'd cross his arms and look away, pretending not to give a single care. She'd seen right through him. No one else had, but _she_ had.

Maybe it was because of that that over the next years he'd continue to try and create a tough persona. He was the cool type who would shrug and nod. He liked that vibe. He was comfortable when he was acting like nothing bothered him.

It wasn't that he didn't let people in, it was that he hadn't found anyone that he _wanted_ to let in. Ur, maybe, but she was gone now. Lyon was like a brother, and probably the closest to knowing the real Gray Fullbuster. All of Fairy Tail knew him, but not inside and out. And honestly, he liked it that way. It was easier that way. It was easier being a little mysterious than confessing what his fears and hopes were.

He had a rough exterior but on the inside he figured he was just a big softie. Which sucked. He didn't want to be someone who could be swayed by emotions or caring. He saw it as a weakness.

But then again he didn't know how to re-wire his traits so he figured he'd have to live with it.

One of those things that made him a big softie? He was sentimental. Unfortunately. No one knew it but he had two boxes filled with things that were seemingly insignificant, but meant something close to the world to him, tucked underneath his bed.

Only after a particularly draining day, or when something would make his heart ache, did he ever take out those boxes. Today was one of those days. It was his birthday. He hadn't told anyone, mainly because he didn't want people making a fuss over him, and so he'd retired to his apartment to be by himself.

And so, he'd taken out the boxes to start sifting through the contents. It'd take him down memory lane a bit, make him feel like he was at home. It was a birthday ritual, he guessed. Which sounded incredibly lame and a little sad, but it was true.

He sat down on the floor next to his bed, crossing his legs and peering into the boxes. The contents were a variable scrapbook of his life.

He had a small jar of water that'd once been the snow from the very top of the highest mountain where he'd trained with Lyon and Ur. He had vowed to climb it and bring back some snow, and when the day came that he did, he'd put it in a jar to keep forever as a sign of pride.

He had pictures upon pictures of himself as a child growing up, usually with either Lyon or Natsu's arm slung around his neck. In all of those pictures he looked the same, glaring over at the grinning boys with a scowl. It made him smile now, what a sour kid he'd been.

He had a mug from Fairy Tail. He'd stolen it the day he'd gotten there to keep as a souvenir. He'd known that it would be his home for the next half of forever the instant he stepped through the doors, so he'd been certain he needed some sort of physical representation of when he'd joined. He had his guild mark, and the only other thing in Fairy Tail as common as guild marks were beer glasses. They had to have thousands of them.

He had a single thread from Natsu's scarf. As kids when they'd fight and fight until they collapsed in exhaustion, one of the most proud moments he had was when he'd actually gotten close enough to Natsu to rip one thread from his scarf. It was insignificant but it signaled him getting stronger. Technically Natsu had won that fight, nearly blowing up into a giant fireball of anger at the thought of his scarf from Igneel being "defaced by a squinty-eyed snowman", but it'd been a time to remember nonetheless.

He had Erza's eyepatch from when she first joined the guild. After a while of not needing it she'd tossed it, wanting to rid herself of the memories it carried, and Gray had promptly dug it out of the bin and brought it back to his house.

Maybe it was a little weird to keep something like that, but it was something he didn't want to forget. Erza was one of his closest and first friends. Not only that but she was someone he looked up to not only as a mage but as a person. That eyepatch held bad memories for her, but for him, it held the Erza that he first met. She was different now and yet the same, but he didn't want to loose it.

And then of course the things he'd kept the most of were what other people had given to him. No matter what it was, if someone gave it to him, he felt the need to keep it. Maybe he'd act like it wasn't a big deal, huff and say a sarcastic 'thanks', but he'd bring it straight home and throw it in one of the boxes to keep forever.

He knew as well as anyone else at the guild that one day he could wake up and things would have changed so much that he didn't even recognize himself or his life in the mirror. As was the life of a mage. Magic changed people, and as life wore on, through wear and tear sometimes people changed without realizing it.

If one day, he were to wake up and something had happened to drastically change his life, he knew he could go to those boxes, look through the things people had given him, and remember what sorts of things he used to do. He wished he'd kept things from Ur. That was before he'd begun stockpiling absolutely everything.

He had the shirt Makarov had given him for his ninth birthday. He had the note that said _"Meet me in the back of the guild so I can kick your ass!"_ from Natsu. He had the rather gaudy necklace Lucy had gotten him from one of her missions, saying that she had no idea what he'd want but the necklace had had something that looked kinda like an icicle on it so she'd chosen that.

He had the brass knuckles Mira had given to him in her wild days. He had a shirt Elfman had made for all the men in the guild that said 'be a man' on the backs. He had a little drawing of himself –which looked very distorted and a little scary- from Asuka. He had an engraved sword he'd gotten from Erza on Christmas.

He kept literally everything, stacks upon stacks of seemingly useless things which meant the world to him, tucked into boxes underneath his bed.

He would be beyond embarrassed if someone from the guild were to uncover them, but he wasn't ashamed. He didn't want anyone to find out, but he understood it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Well, he took that back, there was one thing he never wanted to be uncovered.

He held up the scarf Juvia had given to him and sighed. In all reality he wouldn't mind if someone found it, as long as it wasn't her, and no one told her he'd kept it. For all she knew he'd thrown it away long ago.

Juvia was perhaps the person who gave him the most things. However, they were usually edible and as much as he wanted to keep whatever someone gave to him, he didn't want to attract bugs and foul smells with molding 'Gray-sama cookies' or anything of the like. So he'd been glad, in a way, when he'd received the scarf.

Sure it'd been on a rough day and he'd left it to rot in the snow, but after he'd dug it back up, wrapping it around his neck and nearly feeling the warmth she'd put into it, he grew to have very fond feelings for the piece of fabric.

After all, Juvia was perhaps the person he was around most nowadays. Whether it was of his own accord or not, they spent a lot of time together. It was only fitting if he had something to remember her by, and something he enjoyed as well.

He ran his fingers over the scarf with a smile, nearly jumping out of his skin as a few hurried and loud knocks suddenly sounded at his door.

"Gray-sama? Is Gray-sama home?!" Speak of the devil. He scrambled to his feet, desperately throwing things back into his boxes.

"Y-yeah Juvia, I'm home," he called, stuffing papers and pictures back into stacks. She'd sounded a little panicked, but surely it was something that could wait long enough for him to put everything back in its place.

"Juvia's coming in!"

Apparently it wasn't.

"Wha-wait no-" As his door flung open he flopped back down on the floor, trying to make himself as large as possible in hopes of concealing the boxes which were now only about half underneath his bed, their lids sitting on the ground next to him.

He watched in horror as she looked around his apartment in panic. When she laid eyes on him her entire persona relaxed, and holding a hand to her chest in relief, she closed and locked his door behind her. Wait. His door had been locked.

"How did you get in?" he asked, a little hesitant to hear the answer.

Juvia turned back to him and held up a key ring full to the brim with keys. "Juvia had a key made for Gray-sama's apartment." She smiled proudly to herself as he gaped. She had to be freaking kidding. This was a whole new level to her stalker tendencies. She seemed to sense his disapproval and quickly shook her head at him. "Oh no, it's only for emergencies. Juvia wouldn't use it if it weren't an emergency."

He gestured at the door. "And what makes this an emergency?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, bustling over and kneeling down in front of him, the most worried of looks plastered onto her face. "Where were you? I didn't see you today in the guild and no one else had either. Is Gray-sama okay?" She looked genuinely concerned.

Anyone else in the guild got a little suspicious if he wasn't on a job and hadn't shown up at the guild in a day, but not enough so to check up on him. It was odd to have someone that worried about him. Odd but a little comforting. Although it would've been more comforting had she waited until he could open the door and hadn't made a key of her own.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said carefully, watching as her eyes flitted all around the room.

"If Gray-sama is fine, why is he home all alone doing nothing on a nice day like today?"

"Umm…" He tried to come up with a reasonable answer –which was hard since his apartment was particularly barren and not really a place that held many entertaining things to do- but she cut him off before he could spew out an excuse.

"What's that?" she questioned, tilting her head as she craned her neck to look around behind him. She pointed at the box lids on the floor and then behind him to where he assumed she caught a glimpse of one of the boxes.

Crap. "N-Nothing," he stuttered, sliding to the side to try and cut off her view of the boxes.

"No, that's definitely something. What was Gray-sama looking at?" she asked. "Juvia wants to see!" With a smile her hand shot around behind him and yanked the box out from underneath the bed to sit in front of her.

She just really didn't understand the principle of personal space or privacy, did she?

She 'ooed' as she began shuffling through the contents of the box. He thanked Mavis it'd been the one without the scarf, and while she was so engrossed in what she was finding, he snaked a hand into the other cardboard container and pulled out the fabric, wadding it up in his palm and holding it behind his back.

"What is all this stuff?" Juvia asked, holding up the little container of water and looking through it like a magnifying glass.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. He could lie, but honestly she'd probably see right through him. And if she did catch him in a lie, she probably wouldn't let it go until the end of eternity, or when she found out what was in the boxes, whichever came first. No, lying wasn't a good option, but he needed to make one thing clear first. "I'll tell you what it is but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone else about it."

Her eyes shifted over to him in confusion. She gave one curt nod.

"Say it. Say you promise you'll keep quiet and keep these things between us." Although he'd hoped whoever would eventually find these boxes wouldn't be Juvia, he guessed he could think of a few other people who would've probably been worse.

"Juvia promises," she said with gusto. It was obvious she was now about ten times more curious than she had been two seconds ago, not only that, but he could already spot the giddy smile crossing her face, spawned from knowing that he'd entrusted her with a secret he hadn't told anyone else. Oh goody. This should be fun.

"They're just… mementos." He flinched as she let out a fascinated sigh.

"Ooh, Gray-sama keeps mementos?" She pulled out the Fairy Tail mug and scoured it with her eyes. "Juvia wouldn't have taken you to be someone who held onto things."

He rolled his eyes, not dignifying her comment with an answer, mainly because he wasn't sure what to say.

Her eyes flitted back to the other box beneath the bed and without hesitation she pulled it out as well. He gave himself a mental high-five that he'd removed the scarf beforehand and balled it even tighter in his fist.

She rifled through the second box quickly. He knew she was most likely going to spend the entire day going through every single item, but she was doing a quick inventory sweep beforehand. She pulled out a stack of photos and squealed. "Little Gray-sama is so cute~!" she breathed, turning around the picture to show him.

He nodded. He'd seen the picture a thousand times.

For the next few minutes she went through every picture, giggling and blushing and swooning over the different ages of 'Gray-sama' she saw. But just as he'd expect from his certified stalker and number one fan, it only took a little while for her to notice he was hiding something else.

She looked up from the picture she was holding, her eyebrows pinched as she pointed to his arms behind his back. "What're you holding?"

He was absolutely positive he looked like a deer in the headlights. "Me? Oh, nothing." He pulled out one arm and showed her his empty hand. She frowned further. Crap, she hadn't bought it.

"What is it?" She grinned, setting the stack of pictures down and crawling closer to him.

"Nothing. It's nothing," he reassured her, turning his back as far away from her as possible.

"What is Gray-sama hiding? He doesn't need to be shy!" she squealed. This was some sort of a game to her. He had no idea what she'd do if she found out he'd kept the scarf she'd given him but he was absolutely positive it wouldn't be something he wanted. Why did she have to be so damn observant?

And then she pounced.

For the next few minutes a variable whirl of arms and legs occurred as they both wrestled with one another, Gray trying his absolute best to keep the scarf in his balled up hand away from her. They rolled around on the ground, bumping into dressers and knocking over lamps. And after a few things were frozen, he was hit in the face with a blob of her water, and he received more bruises than he ever had wanted, she somehow managed to get ahold of his hand, ripping the scarf from his grasp and smoothing it out to its full potential.

He cursed to himself as he sat back up, panting and internally flinching for what was to come.

She stared at the scarf in her hands, her eyes widening as she made the connection. Her hands clasped the fabric tight as she looked up to him. He winced.

Her mouth opened slightly, moving around aimlessly as she looked for the words before closing again when she couldn't find them, instead her lips gently curving into a smile. She stared at him then, for how long, he didn't know, an emotion he couldn't exactly place sparking her eyes aglow.

And without a single word she leaned forward, reaching and carefully draping the scarf around his neck. She stayed close for a moment more, that same look in her eyes brightening before she leaned back with a very slight nod.

She turned back to the boxes then, going back to her giggling self as she picked back up the pictures and he stared at her in disbelief.

She hadn't said a single thing. She'd stayed completely quiet. He hadn't even known that silence was within Juvia's repertoire when it came to him, let alone when she found out that the scarf she'd given to him that meant so much to her, apparently meant something special to him as well.

And he felt a smile of his own begin to twitch at his mouth as she dove back into the box's contents like a tornado. That look in her eyes had been something special; something he hadn't seen before and something he truly hoped he'd see again.

Juvia was crazy, and exhausting, and a little too much to handle sometimes, but deep down she was more than just a squealing mess of a girl who was in love with him. She was a woman who enjoyed things, felt emotions to the maximum, and could truly appreciate something, even if it was just the fact that he'd kept a simple scarf, without needing a single word.


	3. Day 3 - Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like a flower sprinkled by rain, she'd bloomed since she'd met him.

Had she taken the advice of nearly anyone around her, she wouldn't have been still pining after Gray. They loved him, of course, her guildmates. He was a staple to the Fairy Tail family, but that didn't stop them from subtly hinting to her to give up on him.

Lucy, who'd been her love rival and perhaps still was, had taken her aside, put a hand on each shoulder and told her upfront that she deserved someone who would treat her right. Lucy loved Gray as a friend deeply but she also loved Juvia that way. And she'd told her it was because she loved her that she would suggest moving on.

Lucy wasn't the only one. Erza had dropped hints, Levy had given her looks across the guild, Gajeel had said in his rough way that she didn't deserve Gray if he just shoved her away and made her feel bad about herself.

But they didn't understand.

He didn't make her feel bad about herself. He didn't treat her badly. He wasn't the stoic and distant person they thought he was, and she couldn't move on.

Not only because she was in love with him, but also because she was indebted. It wasn't a voluntary thing like they thought. They thought she'd fallen in love and was so blinded by it that she couldn't see the truths. That wasn't true. She could see them.

She knew when he would roll his eyes even if she pretended not to notice. She knew when he avoided her purposefully. She knew, but she didn't care. And it was out of love, yes, but she wasn't blinded by it.

Not only could she not move on, she _wouldn't_ move on, because quite frankly, she didn't want to.

Maybe he wasn't Prince Charming to other girls. Maybe from the outside it looked like they had one really messed up one-sided relationship, but it was more than that.

She knew he felt something for her. Maybe it was in the times he sat quietly next to her, the times when he'd help her out but never admit it, or even in the small nibbles he'd take of her cooking, trying to pretend like he didn't want any of it. He wasn't completely cold. It would just take a little while to warm him up all the way.

But even if she had thought he didn't love her, she still wouldn't have given up.

She could hardly remember her life before him, mainly because it'd been one long drab sentence of seemingly one never-ending dark day. She looked at her days before him as if she'd been in some other world because honestly, that's how it'd felt.

A horrible world where she wished for sunshine but instead received clouds. A world where sometimes she wished it would all end. A world where she'd been ostracized and unknowingly used. It was a world that'd felt like a nightmare.

And then him, in all his glory, had somehow made the rain go away. She'd begged for the rain to stop but had never been able to succeed, and in one fell swoop, one battle, a few words, he'd successfully banished it. Like some magical spell had been lifted from her by simply being in his presence.

She was eternally grateful for that. Not only that he'd shown up, the love of her life, but also because he got the rain to stop. He got the nightmare to stop and led her into an entirely different world. One she thought couldn't possibly exist outside of storybooks.

Because of him she found a new life. She could look up into the sun and smile. She was absolutely positive had she not been led out of the rain and into the Fairies' grasp that she would only be a shallow and empty shell of the self she was now.

She was stronger. Her magic had grown and thrived in the rainless and nurturing environment. She'd grown stronger and learned to come out of her shell. They accepted her for who she was. She wasn't a dreary rain woman, she was Juvia, the water mage who was exuberant about showing the ones around her how she felt.

Including him.

She wouldn't have gone to any of the places she'd seen, been through the struggles, and sighed in relief as the victories came, even if she was dead-tired and absolutely positive she couldn't move another step, she had the strength to smile.

So when they told her to move on, that he wasn't worth her time, she'd just smile and knowingly shake her head.

Because she didn't love him just because he'd made the rain go away, not just because she was sure he was her soul mate, and not because it was love at first sight. She loved him because he'd brought out the best in her. Maybe he didn't feel the same way yet, but it was enough for her. The least she could do for him was to be patient and persistent.

Rain makes flowers bloom. It falls and nourishes them from the ground up, building them up to their full potential and allowing them to stand tall in the sun, showing themselves off in all of their beauty. All it took for her was a little less rain to bloom, a little less of the daily drowning, and a hand held out, shining down like the sun, beckoning her into the life she'd always dreamed of having.


	4. Day 4 - Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~He was dominant, possessive, and doing all the things she'd dreamed of him doing. However, this wasn't the Gray Fullbuster she'd fallen in love with.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! This was written back when Gray had gone all awol and we didn't know what he was up to with Avatar. So this was just a headcanon I had during that period of time. So needless to say it takes place after Gray left, but before Lucy, Natsu and crew found Juvia alone in their little cabin. ;D Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

The instant Juvia laid eyes on the tall and daunting building, she knew Gray was inside. Something clicked in her heart, something that sinkingly told her that this horrid-looking castle was where he'd disappeared off to.

It was secluded, so far into the forest that she wasn't surprised it'd taken her nearly five months of searching to find. Worn grey stone spiraled upwards into towering pillars, in an elegant and yet unnerving way. Thick and thorny green vines hugged the building and surrounding forest tight, refusing to let go.

It was nearly silent. She'd lost sight of animals about a half mile back and the closer she got to the building, the more lifeless things seemed. The air was so thick and stagnant it almost felt like the building was in its own little universe.

She'd waited for him, Gray, for a long time. He'd been in and out for days. Disappearing for a few and then staying with her for a week, just to disappear for a few more. And then one day he hadn't come back.

He'd been cold and distant. The instant those black markings that he told her were "nothing" showed up on his body, she felt the immediate change. His mind was elsewhere. His thoughts were focused on something she couldn't see, and so when the day came that he didn't come back, it wasn't as much of a surprise as she'd thought it would be.

She waited for him. If he came back and she wasn't home she'd regret it for the rest of her life. She kept the fire in the fireplace going, sending smoke puffs into the air through the chimney in hopes that if he saw it, he'd pay her a visit, even if he didn't stay. Maybe then she could finally find some answers.

She cooked a fresh meal every night, setting out a plate for him in hopes that he'd smell the delicious scent of her cooking wafting through the surrounding woods and come have dinner with her.

She tried to keep up hope, keep her spirits high and continued to go through the daily motions she used to do with him. She trained, but it wasn't the same, and finding a job for one without a guild was even harder than finding one for two.

If there was one emotion she had been sure she'd never feel for Gray, it was bitterness or anger. She truly believed he could've done anything and she wouldn't have been angry at him at all. However, honestly, she'd been wrong.

As the days turned to weeks and then months without a trace of him, her hopefulness turned to depression, and then slowly, without her completely realizing it, resentment.

Who was he to suddenly leave out of the blue without an explanation? She'd done everything for him, the least he could've done was tell her what those unnerving black splotches on his body were, especially once they started to grow and meld together with one another.

She was his partner, in a way. They'd been together with only each other for company for months, and yet he couldn't tell her a word, or even leave a note to let her know he wasn't coming back. She'd wasted months now, waiting for him. That could've been time spent doing many more productive things.

It was then, when her frustration hit a limit, that she decided if he wasn't coming back to her, she would go find _him_.

It'd been easier said than done.

She'd searched the forest around their little cabin forever. She scoured every inch. Every day she'd broaden the landscape of her search, until finally she found herself in a completely different town, traipsing into a neighboring wood and stomping forward with a newfound determination. It seemed the more she searched, the more purposeful her steps became.

Although, when she'd stumbled and searched through miles upon miles of acreage, she had to admit she let out a large sigh of relief when she saw that building she knew Gray was in. As much determination as she had, she worried she'd never find him.

She didn't know for sure if Gray was inside, but something in her gut told her he was. She knew nothing of this building or the people it held, but without much hesitation, she found herself creeping around the side of the structure.

It was night now, the sun having disappeared behind the horizon within the hour. The building was dark, no light cascading from any of the windows, however a few torches in front and around the sides gave her more than enough light to do a little searching.

She wasn't stupid. She wouldn't go through the front door. She was a lone woman mage, and as strong as she was, she doubted she could take on however many people were inside. If she knew Gray as well as she thought she did, he'd most likely surround himself with other powerful mages. And if that was true, she didn't want to be the lone trespasser who was the target.

She peered in every window she came across. Most were so dark she couldn't see an inch from the glass, but in others she saw outlines of beds, sleeping figures, and other seemingly ordinary sights.

She'd made her way around the entire building, her feet crunching on dead leaves and twigs, before finally spotting a window with even the slightest hint of light inside. She cupped her hands to the glass, peering inside. There was a candle, flickering and threatening to go out at any moment. It illuminated the room inside enough for her to tell it was some sort of small makeshift bedroom. Her eyes scanned the furniture before she stopped, her breath hitching in her throat as she laid eyes on the one thing in the room that looked familiar. Gray's small brown satchel sat on the floor, leaning up against the table which held the candle.

She'd been right.

Her heart thudded wildly in her chest as she contemplated what to do. Gray wasn't in the room, but that meant most likely he was either somewhere else inside the building, or would come back to his room eventually, if for no other reason than to retrieve his stuff.

She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but the thought of being this close to finding Gray, her fingers literally pressed against the room where he'd been, after months of not seeing him at all, seemingly forced her feet to move and carry her around back. She'd spotted a back door there. She figured that'd be her best bet for getting inside.

Without hesitation when she found the door, she yanked on its handle. It came open easily, albeit not without a painful-sounding groan. She hoped it wasn't loud enough to wake anyone. The door was nearly in shambles; she wasn't surprised it wasn't locked, although she was surprised they kept a door this shabby. Although, then again she didn't know who or what was inside so she shouldn't judge just yet.

It crossed her mind that she wasn't entirely sure what she would do if or when she found Gray. What was her goal? She wanted him back. How she would do that was another story. Once she ran into him, what would she say? How would he take it? What if he-

She stopped in her tracks, her vision blurring for a moment as her head felt light with the feeling only Gray Fullbuster could elicit.

He'd turned a corner and now they were facing one another, his figure pausing down the hallway as he stared back.

He looked surprised for only a split second, his features quickly rebuilding themselves back into the stoic and stern expression that seemed to be permanent since the black markings showed themselves. His hair was different, longer and slicked backwards, making him look a little dangerous. His clothes were clean and ironed, yet they didn't feel like him. But most worryingly were those black marks. They'd grown considerably, taking over nearly an entire half of his body as far as she could see, snaking up his neck and over one of his eyes. He didn't even look like himself anymore.

And although the Gray in front of her was a far cry from the Gray she loved, her heart still beat furiously and her knees still wanted to buckle. The harsh and angry thoughts and feelings she'd had towards him as she'd searched slowly melted away as she laid eyes upon the man she loved. Surely he had some sort of reason for leaving her. Something that would make her feel silly for doubting him.

She wanted to walk forward, to hug him or to engage him in some sort of conversation, but now, her legs refused to move. Luckily for her, it appeared Gray had an agenda as he quickly closed the gap between them. He swiveled around behind her before she could say a word, and a hand roughly clasped her mouth shut, squeezing hard enough to make her jaw begin to ache.

She squeaked in surprise, her hand automatically shooting to his, trying to pry it off of her. The feeling. This aura around Gray wasn't one she'd felt before. It felt dangerous and scary and for a brief moment the thought that perhaps he'd harm her crossed her mind.

She felt cool breath on the back of her ear as he whispered to her. "Keep quiet, you hear?" he hissed.

Her eyes widened as the sound of his voice once again hit her ears after so long. It sent unwanted and yet pleasant shivers down her spine. She weakly nodded against his hand.

An arm snaked around her stomach and clamped her to him, her back hitting a muscled chest. He carted her then, without care, down the hallway. She was hauled, her feet flailing as she tried to walk at his pace, instead tripping over herself, the only thing keeping her from falling being his arm tightly wrapped around her. It was hard to walk while being glued to him. His grip was so much tighter than she'd felt before. Her ribs were beginning to hurt from the pressure and something told her that in his mind, he was barely touching her.

The shudders shooting down her spine from his touch slowly morphed into shudders of dread. She could feel the difference in him, and her silent wonderings of whether or not he'd harm here turned into thoughts of why he wouldn't. He seemed angry she'd come, even though she couldn't see his face.

Roughly they made it down the hallway, he shouldered through a door, letting go of her waist long enough to turn the handle, and he shoved her inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

She stumbled as he let her go, tripping and catching herself on the table that held a candle. The same candle she'd seen before. They were in his room.

Many times she'd daydreamed about him carting her into his room, but never had it been like this.

In the dark atmosphere and the cold way he'd spoken and handled her, she suddenly felt as if perhaps she should've never seeked him out. He'd never touched her with as much strength as he just had. It was uncaring, violent.

She turned to look at him, and her heart sank.

His arms were crossed as he looked her up and down.

This wasn't Gray.

His eyes were depths of abyss. Nothing was in his expression _or_ his eyes, nothing at all. It wasn't even Gray when he was angry. It ceased to be the man she loved at all. It was someone else, some imposter who felt and sounded nothing like Gray, and yet had taken his body and looked just like him.

It made her gut clench in disgust and anger. It seemed like someone else was inside of Gray, but she knew the truth. Something else had happened to him. It was still Gray Fullbuster, he'd just changed so much she didn't recognize him anymore. He felt like someone else entirely and it made her sick.

Suddenly all of the anger and resentment that she'd had before bubbled back to the surface. And as he muttered a harsh, "What are you doing here?" she couldn't handle it anymore.

All of the tensions and unspoken words she'd hoped to tell him, all of the frustrations in waiting for him and the confusion she'd suffered, all of the disbelief and disappointment in him fueled her as she stepped forward with purpose, raising a hand and with all the strength she could muster, slapped him clean across the face, the clap echoing loudly in the dark room.

As her hand fell to her side in a fist, everything seemed to come crashing down around her. This was horrible. Her life, him, everything wasn't how she'd imagined it to be. She loved him and while he'd always been distant, this was a new thing entirely. She was grieving the loss of the man she loved, not only because he'd left her alone in their house, but because he'd let himself be overcome with what she could only guess to be a strong emotion such as anger or revenge. That was the only logical explanation she had for the sudden complete change in him. She was truly afraid the Gray Fullbuster she knew was gone for good, and it scared her.

Tears pricked to her eyes then, half in anger and half because of what she'd just done. She'd just hit him. Never in a million years had she ever thought she'd lay a hand on him in a negative light. Him leaving her had pushed her to all sorts of breaking points and although she didn't recognize him anymore, she realized if she could hit him, in pure anger, perhaps she didn't recognize herself anymore either. It only forced the tears out faster.

His fingers reached up to his cheek, gently touching the place she'd hit as he turned his head back to her, his eyes piercing.

For an instant, through blurred and teary vision she thought she saw a glimmer of the Gray she used to know in his face, but with a blink as she cleared the tears, it was gone, replaced instead by an intense look in his eyes that she couldn't place, but one that made her want to run nonetheless. Her entire body tensed in anticipation and self-defense.

She hadn't placed the look in his eyes until he'd moved forward, grabbing her face with one hand and her hip with the other, swiveling her around and shoving her against the wall, his own body soon to follow as he crushed himself to her, his lips colliding with hers with a sense of urgency.

In all of her dreams, whether while she was sleeping or when she'd let her imagination run wild, if he'd kissed her, it'd been magical. She'd run her hands through his hair and pull him closer, and he'd whisper her name as he moved his lips to her neck.

This wasn't like any of her dreams.

She froze, her entire body going rigid and her jaw straining shut as he continued, his lips just as soft and cool as she'd imagined, and yet feeling nothing like she'd hoped. It'd been her dream to have him kiss her, and yet this was nothing worthy of being called wonderful. It was rough, uncaring, lustful, as he yanked at her hair from its roots and ran his tongue along her bottom lip.

Kissing Gray was enough to make her head spin, but this was some other man kissing her.

She stayed still for the entirety of the kiss, until he'd apparently had his fill and let her mouth free, placing his head beside hers, his forehead against the wall and his lips at her ear. He was breathing hard, short cold puffs of air hitting her neck as she tried her best to remain composed. She suddenly wanted out. She wanted this man gone and the Gray she knew and loved back. She wanted to go back to their cabin and for him to come home and ask what was for dinner. She just wanted it to be normal again.

He breathed on her quietly for a bit before speaking words that set her body completely rigid again. "You're going to be the death of me."

The voice was warmer, something akin to what he'd used to sound like and her heart jumped in hope.

"I care. You know I do." He let out a deep sigh and the next words were just as empty and lifeless as they had been before, any remnant of the Gray she knew melting away. "You're going to go back to that cabin and you're going to forget everything that happened here."

"Wha-"

He cut her off as he once again clasped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. "You're going to go back and forget. I came and went for a while and then one day I didn't come back. You've waited for me ever since and you'll wait for me for as long as it takes."

She strained against his hand, trying to voice her opposition and confusion. She knew he was about to do something she wouldn't approve of, although she didn't know what.

He sighed, pressing his hand harder against her and continuing to muffle her words. "I'm doing this because I care."

And with those last words she felt something hard crack against her head, her eyes rolling back in her head as everything around her faded, slowly going black.

She would wake up in the cabin the next morning, a headache plaguing her mind and no memories of the past few days, instead replaced by an eerie and yet overwhelming feeling that she needed to sit and wait for him… no matter how long it took.


End file.
